How to be an Exceptional Leader During a Crisis

Every business experiences a crisis at some point, it can cause fear, anger and make you anxious if you’re in charge of leading others. Most owners and employees expect you to set aside your own fears, staying calm and lead with confidence. You need to know how to lead without panic in a crisis and to find effective solutions quickly.

Most people let their feelings spiral out of control during stressful times. They become anxious and worrisome, often paralyzed from fear. Others have been accused of ignoring the crisis altogether, putting their head in the sand, so to speak.

“The worst thing you can do is suppress your feelings,” says Allison Troy, a psychologist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

Strong leaders say they have these feelings but manage them so they can deal with fixing the problem quickly. You need to have strategies in place to calmly lead your team during a crisis. Don’t take things personally. Keep your emotions in check. Put aside your own feelings. You need to show your employees that you are in control of the situation. Maintain your composure while expressing your concern and care.

Remember the obstacles you overcame in the past. Everyone faces crisis that can have serious consequences at some time in their lives. When faced with a crisis when leading others, remember how you got through a past problem. Give yourself a pep talk if you have to.

Remove yourself emotionally from the problem. Look at it like an outsider. You’ll have to learn how to trick your brain into this type of thinking. Pretend you are trying to help a peer solve the same problem. Ask the questions you would ask them. Listen to the advice you would give them.

Step up to the plate and quickly take action. You don’t have time to dwell on the things you can’t change. Instead you have to focus on what you need to do and do it. Identify what you can control and take action on the one you need to do immediately.

Keep your mental attitude positive and talk to your employees in a positive way to keep them hopeful and inspired. Stay strong and smile often. Stay focused on moving forward through the crisis.

Act like you’ve been through the crisis before. One of the most effective ways to maintain composure through a problem is to act like it’s happened before. Approach it with a sense of grace and patience.

Leaders who remain composed during a crisis are fully committed to taking care of the issue. They are accountable and assume the responsibility of the problem. They take the steps needed to solve the problem.

A crisis is bound to happen in almost every business. It’s easy for someone to lose their composure when faced with adversity, letting concern and anxiety turn to fear. Leaders who have learned how to lead without panic during a crisis are able to step back and evaluate the problem critically.

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